Shoe



C. C. ANDREASEN SHOE Filed Sept. 6, 1958 Nov. 19, i946).

am A )OM ATTORNEY@ Patented Nov. 19, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICESHOE Application September 6, 1938, Serial No. 228,571

5 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in shoes.

Heretofore, various forms of shoes have been proposed and manufacturedembodying means for cushioning the heel of the wearer. The presentinvention relates to a shoe of this general type and includes aprinciple of construction wherein the cushioning is accomplished by anovel combination of elements.

It is therefore a general object of the invention to provide in a shoe,means forming a yielding support for the calcaneum or heel bone of thewearer whereby shocks incident to walking will be absorbed to increasethe users comfort.

A more specific object of the invention is to provide in a sloe havingan outsole formed with an aperture beneath the heel bone, means in saidaperture producing a flexing action during walklng.

A further object of the invention is to provide in a construction asabove described air pockets above and below said exing member.

A still further object of the invention is to provide in a shoe as abovedescribed a cushioning member above said aperture and flexing memberwhereby the heel bone is cushioned by the combined effects of saidcushioning member and said flexing member, the latter moving into andout of air pockets.

A further object of the invention is to provide a shoe as abovedescribed wherein the cushioning member extends from the heel forwardlybeneath the arched portion of the shoe and wherein the lower surface ofthe insole is skived to provide a recess for cooperation with saidcushioning member.

A further object of the invention is to provide a cushion shoe which isrelatively inexpensive to manufacture, which is neat in appearance, andwhich is well adapted for the purpose described.

With the above and other objects in view the invention consists of theimproved shoe in all its parts and combinations as set forth in theclaims and all equivalents thereof.

In the accompanying drawing illustrating preferred embodiments of theconstruction wherein the same reference numerals designate the sameparts in all of the views,

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view through the lower portion of ashoe, part of the upper being broken away;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken along line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the lower surface of the insole;

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the resilient cushioning member;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary plan view showing the upper side of the outsoleabove the heel;

Fig. 6 is a perspective View of the flexing member or plug; and

Fig. '7 is a view similar to Fig. 2 illustrating a modified form of theinvention.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, the numeral 8 designates anoutsole, the numeral 9 an insole, the numeral I0 a lining for theinsole, the numeral II the upper, and the numeral I2 the heel. The heeli2 has its upper surface transversely concaved as at I3, in accordancewith the usual practice, and the heel is secured to the lower surface ofthe rear of the outsole, by any of the well known methods, the rear ofthe outsole being shaped to conform to the concavity on the uppersurface of the heel as clearly shown in Fig. 2.

Directly above the heel the outsole is provided with an opening I4 whichopening preferably extends entirely through said outsole (see Figs. l, 2and 5). The piece of leather which is removed in forming the opening I4is substantially reduced in thickness and then replaced in the openingto form a plug or flexing member I5. It is to be noted that this plugnormally assumes a straight condition as shown in Fig. 2 to span aportion of the concavity I3 on the upper surface of the heel (see Fig.2) leaving an air pocket I6 below the plug. This plug may be formed ofany relatively rigid material capable of flexing under pressure and thenreturning to normal condition when the pressure is removed. The type ofleather used in outsoles, however, is well adapted for this purpose andis convenient and economical to use because the piece cut from theopening would otherwise be wasted.

The lower surface of the insole 9 is skived as at I1 to provide anelongated concavity or recess as shown in Figs. l and 3 and in saidrecess a piece of cork or rubber composition material forming acushioning member I8 is employed. Said cushioning member is locatedbetween the insole and outsole as shown in Fig. l and has its uppersurface bulging into the skived out portion I'I of the insole. The rearend of the cushioning member extends over the opening I4 in the outsoleand over the plug I5 in said opening. The forward portion of thecushioning member may extend forwardly beneath the arched portion of theshoe to terminate at the point IS. From the point I 9 forwardly theremay be an additional piece of rubber and cork composition material 20serving as a ller between the forward portions of the insole andoutsole. Any other type of ller may be employed in lieu of the ller 20.Located between the cushioning member I8 and the outsole is the usualmetal shank stiiTener ZI and the rear end of said shank stiffener mayterminate just short of the opening I4 in the outsole or may projectslightly into said opening. The shank stiffener serves to press thecushioning member I8 upwardly into the skived out part II of the insole,and in View of the fact that the plug or flexing member I5 is of lessthickness than the thickness of the outsole there is normally an airpocket 22 between the upper surface ofthe plug I5 and the lower surfaceof the cushioning member I8. This air pocket is in addition to the airpocket I6 below the plug and heretofore `described.

In use, when the weight of the wearer is placed upon the heel, theskived out portion of the insole over the outsole opening I4 will tendto flex downwardly to force a portion of the cushion I8 into the openingI4. 'I'his may temporarily close the air space 22 and will cause theplug I5 to flex from its straight position of Fig. 2 to a concavedposition conforming to the concavity I3 on the upper surface of theheel. This will also temporarily close the air space I6. When thepressure is removed the parts will return to the normal position of Fig.2. Thus during walking the heel bone of the user will be cushioned bysaid flexing action. The use of the leather plug I5 in the opening I4prevents the cushioning material thereabove from becoming permanentlydeformed into said opening to produce too great a depression at theheel, and the use of said plug I5 instead of a rubber plug entirelyfilling the opening I4 makes possible a flexing action as the plugiiexes from straight condition to concave condition, as distinguishedfrom an ordinary yielding cushion action, which latter may result in toopronounced a pocket at the heel.

In the form of the invention shown in Fig. 7 the construction isidentical except that the plug I5' is made somewhat thinner than theplug I5 of Fig. 2 to permit the use of an auxiliary or second cushion 23within the opening I4 below the plug I5. The cushion 23 performs thesame function as the air pocket I6 in Fig. 2 permitting the flexingmember I5 to ex downwardly against the cushion 23. All other parts ofthe construction of Fig. 7 are similar to those heretofore described inconnection with the principal form of the invention and are indicated byprimed numerals corresponding to the numerals used in describing theprincipal form.

From the above it is apparent that an improved structure is providedwherein the heel bone is cushioned by the combined effects of thecushioning member I8, and the exing member I5 orrI5, the latter beingcooperable with air pockets I6 and 22, either with or without theauxiliary cushion 23 shown in Fig. '7. It is also apparent that the useof the flexing plug I5 or I 5 formed of relatively rigid material suchas leather tends to maintain the heel of the shoe in its propercondition as purchased, whereas if the opening I5 were filled withrubber material as has heretofore been proposed, there is too littlefirmness beneath the heel with the result that too deep a pocketmayeventually be formed for the heel bone.

In the claimsthe expressionV relatively vrigid material is intended tocomprehend material such as leather having a natural rigidity butcapable of flexing under pressure, as distinguished from a cushioningmaterial having no natural rigidity.

It is further apparent that a recess in the outsole, corresponding tothe opening I4, which does not extend entirely through the outsole,fitted with a flexing plug of less thickness than the recess willaccomplish a similar purpose and applicant does not intend to limit hisinvention to a construction wherein the opening I4 extends entirelythrough the outsole. Various other changes and modifications may be madewithout departing from the spirit of the invention and all of suchchanges are contemplated as may come within the scope of the claims.

I claim:

1. Ina shoe having an insole, outsole, and heel, said outsole having anopening therein above said heel, a plug of relatively rigid materialinserted in said opening, and a cushioning member between the insole andoutsole over said opening, said plug being of less thickness than thenormal thickness of the space between the bottom of the cushioningmember and the bottom of the opening, said cushioning member beingresiliently movable into and out of the opening above the plug duringuse of the shoe to cause movement of the plug and there being meansproviding for resilient downward movement of the plug in response tosaid movement of the cushioning member.

2.- In a shoe having an insole, outsole, and heel, said heel having atransversely concaved upper surface in Contact with the outsole and saidoutsole having an opening above said heel, a plug inserted in saidopening and below the insole and normally assuming a straight positionto span a concaved portion of the heel leaving a space above saidspanned concaved portion, said plug being formed of relatively rigidmaterial capable of flexing into and out of concaved condition whenpressure is applied thereto during use, and a cushioning member betweensaid insole and outsole over said opening and plug.

3. In a shoe having an insole, outsole, and heel, said heel having atransversely concaved upper surface in contact with the outsole and saidoutsole having an opening above said heel, a plug inserted in saidopening and below the insole and normally assuming a straight positionto span a concaved portion of the heel leaving a space above saidspanned concaved portion, said plug being formed of relatively rigidmaterial capable of exing into and out of concaved condition whenpressure is applied thereto during use, and a cushioning member betweensaid insole. and outsole over said opening and plug, said plug being ofless thickness than the normal thickness between the bottom of thecushioning member and the bottom of the opening.

4. In a shoe having an insole, outsole, and heel, said outsole having anopening therein above said heel, a plug of relatively rigid materialinserted in said opening, and a cushioning member between the insole andoutsole over said opening, said plug being of less thickness than thenormal thickness of the space between the bottom of the cushioningmember and the bottom of the opening, and a shank stiifener between saidcushioning member and outsole normally maintaining a part of saidcushioning member spaced above said plug, a portion of said cushioningmember being resiliently movable into and out of the outsole openingduring use of the shoe to cause movement of the plug.

5. In a shoe having an insole, outsole, and heel, said outsole having anopening therein above said heel, a plug of relatively rigid materialinserted in said opening, and a cushioning member between the insole andoutsole over said opening, said plug being of less thickness than thenormal l0 thickness of the space between the bottom of the cushioningmember and the bottom of the opening, and a shank stiffener between saidcushioning member and outsole normally maintaining a part over saidcushioning member 'spaced above said plug, a portion of said cushioningmember being resiliently movable into and out of the outsole openingduring use of the shoe to cause movement of the plug, the lower surfaceof the vinsole being skived to provide a recess for cooperation withsaid cushioning member.

CARL C. ANDREASEN.

